SAM - Business As Usual (BAU) Support L1, L2 and L3 Activities!

[ersureshbe]

ServiceNow offers a Plug and Play solution for software asset management, and our focus should be on business-oriented data and the necessary configurations. The system has several configurations enabled, but certain business requirements necessitate modifications and additional configurations.

Moreover, detailed information is required for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 activities. This information will facilitate the smooth and effective management of operations.

L1 (Level 1) Activities – Operational & Tactical Tasks

These are routine, day-to-day tasks handled by SAM Technicians or BAU support teams.

Who Performs: Junior SAM Specialist, IT Support

Focus: Day-to-day license management, basic compliance, and user support.

Key Activities:

• Software Request Fulfillment – Processing standard software requests.
• License Allocation/Deallocation – Assigning or revoking licenses for users.
• Basic Compliance Checks – Running predefined compliance reports.
• Inventory Reconciliation – Matching discovered software with procurement records.
• User Support – Handling basic SAM-related queries.
• Software Catalog (for user requests)
• License Management Console (for allocations)
• Basic Compliance Reports (out-of-the-box)
• Discovery & Normalization (for inventory matching)

L2 (Level 2) Activities – Analytical & Optimization Tasks

These require deeper SAM knowledge and are handled by experienced analysts.

Who Performs: SAM Specialists, License Analysts

Focus: License optimization, Publisher-specific compliance, cost-saving measures.

Key Activities:

• License Optimization – Identifying underutilized licenses for reharvesting.
• Publisher-Specific Compliance Analysis 
• True-up & Audit Preparation – Ensuring compliance before vendor audits.
• Software Usage Trend Analysis – Identifying usage patterns for cost savings.
• Handling Complex Entitlements – Managing multi-tier licensing models.
• Contract Renewal
• Installed vs Licensed Count

Focus Areas	Activities	Target
Software Request Fulfilment	Approving & deploying licenses via Service Catalog.	Request Fulfilment, Software  Request Workflow
License Allocation/Removal	Assigning/revoking licenses - Depends Publisher	User License Management
Basic Compliance  Checks	Running pre-built compliance reports (e.g., installed vs. licensed).	Compliance Dashboard, Software Asset Reports
Inventory Reconciliation	Matching discovered software (from SCCM/ Intune) with procurement data.	Discovery & Normalization, CMDB  Reconciliation
User Support & Troubleshooting	Handling "I need a license" or "Why was my access removed?" tickets.	Incident Management Integration

ServiceNow Features Used:

• Advanced License Models (for complex licensing)
• Compliance Workbench (for audit preparation)
• Custom Dashboards (for usage trends)
• Integration with Data Sources (for deeper analytics)

L3 (Level 3) Activities – Advanced Strategy & Governance

These are high-level tasks requiring expert knowledge, often handled by SAM managers or consultants.

Who Performs: SAM Managers, IT Leadership, ServiceNow SAM Consultants

Focus: SAM strategy, vendor negotiations, risk mitigation, financial planning.

Activities:

• SAM Strategy & Policy Development – Defining governance frameworks.
• Negotiation Support – Assisting procurement with vendor license agreements.
• Handling Legal & Audit Disputes – Resolving non-compliance issues with vendors.
• SaaS License Management – Optimizing complex subscription models.

ServiceNow SAM-Specific Activities

In ServiceNow, these activities are involved:

• Discovery & Normalization – Ensuring software is correctly identified.
• Proactive Compliance Monitoring – Setting up alerts for risks.
• Integration with CMDB & Procurement – SCCM, Intune - Automating workflows.
• Custom Report & Dashboard Creation – For executive insights.
• Continuous Service Improvement – Define the roadmap and target state based on business timeline

Focus Areas	Activities	Target
SAM Policy & Governance	Defining software request & approval workflows.	SAM Policy Engine, Governance Workflows
Vendor Negotiation Support	Providing data for Publisher contract renewals.	License Position Reports, Cost Optimization Dashboards
Handling Legal & Audit Disputes	Resolving non-compliance claims with vendors.	Audit Dispute Case Management, Historical Data

ServiceNow Features Used:

• Custom App Development (for unique licensing needs)
• Executive Dashboards (for C-level reporting)

Software Asset Management Configurations

The configurations outlined below are activated as part of the implementation program. However, during the operational phase, the business and software teams may necessitate further adjustments to the configurations in response to business needs. Should any modifications be required, the specified configurations will be updated, impacting software compliance, financial management, life cycle management, and reclamation areas.

Configuration Focus Areas	Description	Assigned To
Consumption Rules	Identify the non-complaint software depends on Company, Cost Centre, Department and associated Childs.	L1 / L2
Reclamation Rules	Un used software’s will be identified based on Last Used and Installed On.	L1 / L2
Import Entitlements	Upload the complete license information with the help of Business and MLS statement	L1 / L2
SW Model to Catalogue Conversion	Ensure the ‘Procurement’ use case in the ‘Reactive’ scenario	L1 / L2
Build Workflow for Catalogues	Ensure the Workflow approvals for new software request	L1 / L2
Stock Room	Manage the software’s under different stock room	L1 / L2
Stock Rule	Defne the threshold to ensure the procurement in ‘Proactive’ manner.	L1 / L2
Renewal Calendar Management	Manage the entitlement model contract accurately. Plan for renew the license if required.	L1 / L2
Software Groups & User Mappings	Manage the Software Managers under one group and it will be used for Notification, Reclamation etc.,	L1 / L2
Build Custom Reports	OOB provides the complete SW Asset reports. If business requires additional reports build with the help of standard and Performance Analytics.	L1 / L2
Map Reports to Workspace	Map the reports to Dashboards and It should be associated with the Workspace.	L1 / L2
Build Custom Dashboards	Not fulfilled by OOB dashboards will be handled in the custom dashboards	L1 / L2
Data Corrections	Software related information corrected into the relevant software forms	L1 / L2

Regards,

Suresh.